Manos Blanket Classes

We recommend the Manos Blanket Class to knitters who know the basics -- Cast On, Knit, Purl and Bind Off -- and who want to become intermediate knitters. Although the squares are all flat and ... well, square, you don't have to know anything about shaping... but the fun thing is that what you learn in the process of knitting all the patterns is the fundamental "stuff" of shaping a garment! The increases and decreases we use to create the patterns are the same ones you will use to shape an armhole, sleeve or a neck. In the same way, what you learn about how pattern directions are written will help you to understand all pattern directions. 

Because the squares are only about 13" x 13", it's easy enough to get each one done in a month, and many people who take the class are also working on other projects. One really nice thing about the Manos squares is that they're very portable and because they don't ever sit in your lap, you can keep knitting over the summer!

You could just buy the book and plod through the instructions for the blanket strips; at the end, you'd have a blanket and you'd know how to work a variety of stitch patterns. On the other hand, if you take all the classes, you'll be knitting at an intermediate level by the time you're done. You'll be knitting with knowledge and awareness, confidence, skill and creativity. And you will have learned a lot that's important to you, because Allison is always basing what she talks about in the class on what she sees people doing. In fact, sometimes we describe the main benefit of this class as "having the opportunity to run around and play in Allison's brain for an hour and a half!" Allison's goal is to make you an AWARE KNITTER!

Knitters who take the Manos Class begin to understand what they're doing, and why they're doing it. If you take the class, these are just a few of the things you'll learn how to do:

  • make a crocheted cast on (you also find out what else it's good for and why we use it)
  • see the difference between a left- and right-slanting decrease, how to make them and when to use each one
  • read a pattern so you know what to do
  • read your knitting so you know where you are
  • pick up your knitting after you've forgotten what you're doing, and where you are -- and figure it out!
  • understand how to find the rhythm in knitting stitch patterns so that you can always be sure you've "done it" correctly
  • avoid mistakes and know whether you need to rip to fix them, or whether you can do it by "bungee knitting"
  • increase and decrease in a variety of ways (and know what each one does, why it's used, what else you could do with it, and other ways it might be written!)
  • work a Yarn Over
  • make cables
  • create lace
  • use a stitch pattern you like in a garment you want to make
  • weave in ends
  • crochet a simple edge and attach pieces to each other; and
  • trust your ability!

 

Before the first class, you need to pick your palette. Expect to spend an hour or so looking at the hundred-or-so kettle-dyed colors and thinking about how you want to put them together. You may want to bring in a pillow that incorporates the colors of the room where you'll use the blanket; one lady brought in a photo of a painting that hangs in her living room and pulled her colors from that. There are some beautiful samples in our gallery, and your own creativity is your only limitation! Most people will use Manos for their blankets, but we've had a few folks who couldn't tolerate wool, and have made really beautiful blankets from other fibers. 

Each class is $7.50. You pay only when you come, and we have classes every month that meet for an hour and a half (the first class is 2 hours). In the first class, you'll learn the crochet cast on, the first stitch pattern, what garter stitch is and how to count it (you may be surprised!), whether you're twisting your stitches, how to know the right side (RS) from the wrong side (WS) of your work, and anything else you want to ask about! After that, you can come to ANY class for the first half of the blanket. All the "first half" classes are about the same level of difficulty, but they use different patterns, teach different skills and give you different areas of knowledge.

After you've completed 6 squares, you're ready to take the classes of the "second half of the blanket." These will be a little more complicated, but by the time you knit those squares, you'll be ready for them! When you're close to completing all your squares, you'll learn how to crochet around each block, and then how to put them together into a finished blanket.

When your blanket is done, you'll see simple and complex knit-and-purl patterns, cables, lace, slipped stitches and much more to make you proud and happy!

To find out when the next classes meet, sign up for our email newsletter, call the store or check the on-line schedule!